Councilwoman Sheri Capehart said the proposal has great potential. She said she is intrigued by the "possibilities of shared resources -- from libraries, to public parks, to tutoring and mentoring help."

Sharing resources could mean cost savings for both the school district and the city. The two could strive for bulk-rate discounts on supplies and, as Reich noted, they could leverage their negotiating power when it comes to contract negotiations for services such as utilities.

"We have great contracts with our buying power and our size," Reich said. "I'm sure the city has good contracts. Maybe we could combine and make a larger contract."

Officials said there are more than likely things that the school district and City Council both do that they don't need to. Identifying such things could create greater efficiency.

"There has to be overlap -- there absolutely is," Reich said. "We just don't know what they are, and that's the purpose of this, so we can start vetting that out."

He said there could be legal restrictions when it comes to some initiatives, but said the way to realize what is possible is to get in the same room, work together and find out what the city and district can jointly do.